The human foot is an important body part designed to handle your heavy weight in motion daily. The foot's variable parts, including the toes, heel, and ball, work collectively to get you from one place to another. But the burden of carrying you around sets your feet at high risk of injury, more than any other body part. And various foot problems, including hammertoes, blisters, bunions, etc can arise from negligence and improperly fitting shoes. Pain in your feet might be the first indication of a problem. So what are the steps to identify and counter some frequent foot-health issues? Expert Podiatrists at Market Street Clinic share 4 tips. 

Hammertoe is a foot condition where your second, third, or fourth toe is bent and crossed at the toe joint. It can also point at an odd angle. Poorly fitted shoes can be one of the primary reasons for hammertoes. If your toe is still bendable, you should use roomier, more convenient footwear. Also, using inserts or foot pads can benefit in repositioning your toe. However, if your toe is fixed in the bent angle, the pain will ensue, and you might require surgery. When hammertoes push against the shoe insides, corns and calluses may arise.

A bunion is a bony bulge situated at the bottom of the big toe joint. The foot changes that lead to the bulge also induce the big toe to turn inwards, towards the smaller toes, as per the Mayo Clinic. Bunions can occur from congenital deformities, arthritis, trauma, heredity, or habitually wearing narrow toe-shoes. Irrespective of what led to them in the first place, bunions get aggravated by high heels and constrictive footwear.Conservative therapy for bunions includes wider footwear, padded shoe inserts, and over-the-counter pain relievers. If those approaches fail to reduce pain, surgery may be required to place the big toe back to its position.

A claw toe curves upward at the joint where the toes and the foot are joined and downward at the toe's middle and end connection, making the toe appear curved or clawlike. Claw toes often form calluses & corns where they brush against shoes. While tight shoes can be seen as culprits for claw toes, so can nerve damage to the feet (from diabetes or other conditions), thinning foot muscles. With mallet toes, the toe bends down at the joint at its tip, and painful corn usually forms at the tip of the toe where it presses against the ground. Generally, the second toe takes the hit as it's the longest.

An ingrown toenail is a foot ailment where a toenail's corner or side grows out of proportion. If not cut straight, the nail's sides can penetrate the flesh, inducing pain and occasionally an infection (called paronychia).If you notice an ingrown toenail, you can try dipping the toe in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes, multiple times a day. Also, tuck a small piece of cloth or dental floss under the nail's ingrown side to let it grow upwards and away from the skin. If home cures aren't helping or you have diabetes or a different reason for decreased blood flow to the toes, you should consult a doctor, who will get rid of the affected nail and will suggest an antibiotic to inhibit infection. Moreover, proper toenail clipping - straight in line — is the most effective way of limiting ingrown toenails.

The foot is an essential part of your body, and given the wear and tear they experience, it's common for them to be prone to various foot issues we discussed in this article. 

We hope that the tips and remedies mentioned above will help you deal better with your foot issues.